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From the Introduction by Cyril Scott: THE PORTRAITS AND THE TEXT Finally we come to the reason why some of the Masters have permitted their portraits to be given to the world, a matter which will be of special interest to Theosophists. Within the last year or two Mr. Krishnamurti, now of world-wide reputation, has been preaching a form of philosophy in which he has depreciated the value of the Masters as Teachers and Guides.(This matter has been fully dealt with in The Initiate in the Dark Cycle [chp. 5 & chp. 11] ) The result is that many erstwhile devotees are no longer such, and have, as they imagine, embraced Mr. Krishnamurti's philosophy while all the time they have not been in a position to comprehend it. Although Mr. Krishnamurti himself is fully persuaded that he has attained Liberation and consequently unconditional Joy, many of his devotees show all too clearly by their mien and other insignia that they have failed to follow his example. In fact they were much more at peace when they believed in the Masters than they are now ; for a miscomprehension of a philosophy is almost worse than no philosophy at all. In view of this, and other considerations too elaborate to be dealt with here, the Masters mentally impressed their portraits on David Anrias for reproduction in this book, so that they may serve as a focus for meditation on the part of those who are struggling in the waters of spiritual uncertainty, and for others as well. I as the writer of this introduction who have enjoyed the great felicity of contact with three or four of the Masters, appreciate to the full their value as an ideal to be aspired towards by the serious-minded. Yet how is this aspiration possible unless they provide us with some convincing indication that they exist as realities? Hitherto the Theosophical Society has jealously guarded such few portraits of them as it possessed ; and although this policy is excusable because actuated by motives of reverence, the Masters themselves now wish it to be discontinued : hence this book. |
